Ilia Topuria’s Manager Breaks Silence On His Lightweight Move

Team Ilia Topuria declines a contender match in the lightweight division, demanding a championship fight instead

Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria’s coach, Jorge Climent, was the first to share key updates on his fighter’s future, highlighting his difficulties in making weight. Now, Topuria has officially relinquished his featherweight title due to those struggles and has moved up to the lightweight division. Following this development, the former featherweight champion’s manager, Malki Kawa, has provided further insight into his decision to move up.

With a potential Volkanovski rematch and contenders like Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev in line, many questioned his decision. However, Kawa explained in The Ariel Helwani Show that the difficult weight cut was a major factor. He emphasized that at the championship level, fighters must be prepared to face elite competition like Alexander Volkanovski, Charles Oliveira, Islam Makhachev, and Holloway.

“The truth is that the weight cut is hard for him. Look, when you’ve been in this business for as long as we’ve been in it, you kind of learn certain things. And the longevity of fighters, especially at the highest level, when you talk about being a champion,” Topuria’s manager said.

Kawa explained that constantly cutting nearly 50 pounds for fights was affecting Ilia Topuria’s longevity, making the move to lightweight necessary. He expressed confidence that Islam Makhachev would accept the fight and that Topuria would compete for the lightweight title but said the decision was up to Makhachev’s team.

Ilia Topuria Confident in Lightweight Move, Says He Can Dominate Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev fires a sarcastic response to Ilia Topuria's desire to fight for the lightweight title, adding fuel to the rivalry

Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria

Topuria, one of the greatest featherweight champions, shares the same goal as Alexander Volkanovski—defeating Islam Makhachev. However, unlike Volkanovski, Topuria has openly mocked Makhachev, claiming he is far superior. Determined to become a two-division champion, he prioritizes a lightweight title fight over a Volkanovski rematch despite acknowledging Volkanovski as the top featherweight contender.

Speaking to Fox Sports Australia, Topuria expressed confidence in his skills, stating he could do “whatever he wants” to Makhachev. He also sees himself as part of MMA’s new generation and hinted at submitting Volkanovski instead of knocking him out in a rematch.